IVF watchdog to warn of birth defect risks

Couples seeking IVF treatment are to be warned for the first time that their children have a higher risk of suffering birth defects, disability and life-threatening conditions.

The alert by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the government's watchdog on fertility issues, follows a US study indicating test-tube babies are at a 30% greater risk of suffering from conditions such as cleft palates and defects with heart valves and the digestive system than children conceived naturally.

The research, carried out by scientists from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and based on 13,500 births and a further 5,000 control cases, also found IVF babies has an increased chance of rare genetic disorders such as Angelman syndrome and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

The warning comes as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act comes into law, and is likely to shape the decisions of the estimated one in six British couples who are infertile.

The HFEA says more than 12,000 babies were born in 2006 as a result of IVF.

An HFEA spokesman said: "As with any medical procedure, it is important that patients understand what the treatment involves and what the risks may be.

"With new legislation being introduced later this year, HFEA is also revising and updating the patient information it provides."

In its warning, the HFEA will say the majority of babies born by IVF are healthy and that more research is needed on the issue. This is the first time the authority has made an official warning over the risks of IVF.